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Massachusetts needs to consider opening safe injection sites

Herald News - 2/17/2018

As a student in a master of social work program and a worker in the field of addictions for over a decade, I am horrified of the continued increase in opioid overdose deaths. It is shocking and frightening that overdose fatalities have seen a dramatic spike in recent years, and tragically continue to grow not only throughout Massachusetts, but in our very own city of Fall River.

According to statistics from the Department of Public Health, between January 2017 and September 2017 there were 932 opioid overdose deaths in Massachusetts, with an expectation that by the year's end there would be over 500 more. Of this statistic, 63 recorded deaths were in Fall River.

Implementing safe injection facilities in cities experiencing significant opioid use in Massachusetts will not only decrease the spread of blood-borne diseases via shared intravenous drug use, but it will save lives. These facilities are inclusive of around the clock medical supervision as well as resources to substance abuse treatment and support groups.

Seeing a decrease in overdoses can induce a positive trend of introducing safe injection sites in other states across the United States experiencing high opioid mortality. Vancouver, Canada was one of the first locations in Northern America to introduce safe injection sites. Statistics from the coroner's registry indicate that in the area of the safe injection facility, overdose deaths have decreased by a remarkable 35 percent.

Massachusetts can do better in addressing this public health crisis. I believe that it is an imminent obligation among Massachusetts policy makers to consider safe injection sites to decrease and possibly eliminate deaths caused by drug overdose. Members of our community as well as behavioral health agencies, medical providers and everyone in between can take part in calling our state legislatures. Let's make them aware of our state's sky rocketing statistics in opioid overdose deaths and encourage additional resources like safe injection sites to save the lives of individuals in the throughs of drug addiction.

Stephanie Medeiros

Fall River